“This was not a long-held and carefully formed plan. Further, that intention was formed while you were in a state of distress. “I sentence you on the basis that your intention was to cause serious harm rather than to kill. “They are in no way to blame for any of this and they deserve the utmost sympathy. This is a quite dreadful situation for the whole family. “The allegations are left hanging but unproven. “I have no doubt that this has caused untold pain to Mr Baines’ children. “That took away his right to a fair trial, bearing in mind that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. "‘I sentence you on the basis that your intention was to cause serious harm rather than to kill.’ " “Killing Mr Baines also took away any opportunity for the allegations to be tested. “The moving and dignified statements from his daughters and your son make that clear. “You have taken Mr Baines’ life and caused terrible grief and shock for his children and those who loved him.
“Your actions cannot begin to be justified, whatever you believed your husband had done. Credit: Peter Byrne /PA Images via Getty Images Smith was sentenced at Chester Crown Court. “He had told you that the man he attacked had been a paedophile and that he had touched him sexually. “You and other family members could not understand why Craig’s life had taken this course. “He had been troubled before his death and had been to prison for a serious assault,” Judge Amanda Yip DBE told the court. It’s alleged he abused the only child the couple had together - Craig Baines - who took his own life in 2007, aged 25. ‘Devastating’ allegationsĪ month before her husband died, Smith was told of “devastating” allegations he had committed sexual abuse against children “for many years”. Smith was initially charged with grievous bodily harm but after the death of her husband, the charge was upgraded to murder. Baines suffered significant burns to 36 per cent of his body and was in hospital for five weeks during which he had multiple surgeries and skin grafts.
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